"The sixth meeting for an Israeli prime minister in the first year of Presidents - President Trump's term. I think you're dealing with two leaders who frankly don't trust one another. They probably don't like each other. They're both sort of adept at the art of the con. They're both very skilled politicians. And I think underneath the handshakes and the smiles, there are real tensions."
"Bottom line here, Leila, is that they need one another. Trump needs Netanyahu to ensure that his hopes and aspirations on Gaza, Israeli-Saudi normalization don't crater. And Trump is needed by Netanyahu because the prime minister is under tremendous pressure politically. And next year - this year, actually, in a few days - 2026 is going to be an election year, and he needs Donald Trump, not as a passive bystander but as an active proponent,"
Trump and Netanyahu maintain a transactional partnership marked by mutual need and underlying distrust. Frequent meetings create public displays of accord but do not erase substantive tensions. Trump views Israeli support as essential to advance goals on Gaza and to pursue Israeli–Saudi normalization. Netanyahu relies on Trump’s active backing to strengthen his precarious domestic position and election prospects. Both leaders are politically skilled and adept at managing optics. Their cooperation is pragmatic and instrumental, focused on short-term political and regional aims rather than on deep mutual trust or enduring strategic alignment.
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